Mutiara Taman Negara

We spent 2 nights here, traveling from Malaka the Cameron Highlands. I think it is a great rainforest experience. Check in is easy. Some rooms are far (we were in 93, and it is almost a 1 km walk to the restaurant). The rooms are air conditioned (worked well). 4 complimentary small water bottles and coffee are nice. The shower can be heated. Rooms are dated - there were lizards, and some Noises, but it is the rainforest after all. Our front door/lock did not work very wall. Again, paying for location. Property is beautiful - moneys and lizards and birds are around, along with plenty of Flowers. Food was buffet style. At every meal, there was something good with ample variety. I feel like the salad could have more options, and the soups were terrible. Excursions were variable. I would skip the night forest walk - bunch of people Waving flash lights to see insects. Canopy walk was fabulous - just be prepared for 1 Km walk back to the river over steep terrain. The rapids boat ride/waterfall/water excursion is was also below average. 1 Km walk over roots and steep muddy ground to some turbulent water, and swimming in rocky, brown water. Feel like they could be times better for crowd control. All in all, we liked it!

Very nice place to stay, great surrounding, okay food, Friendly staff. Only the night walk excursion is a big joke. Walking in the jungle with 85 other people on a “paved” trail. Way too crowded and you see of course nothing except a spider or frog here and there.

The only reason this place gets one star is because the staff were genuinely friendly, helpful and always did their best. We came here after a few days in Kuala Lumpur, looking forward to peace, wildlife and one of the world’s oldest rainforests. Instead, we found a place that was far more stressful than Kuala Lumpur itself. The resort is dated, which we could easily have accepted. On its own, we would probably have rated it 3/5 stars. However, the real problem is the concept. With more than 100 cabins and hundreds of day visitors arriving from across the river every day, this is mass tourism. From around 7:00 a.m. until after 11:00 p.m., motorboats constantly pass directly in front of the resort. The engine noise never really stops, making it impossible to enjoy the sounds of the rainforest. At rush hour times you even can’t hear any nature sounds because of the motor boats. The cabins cannot even be locked properly, which is a serious security concern. Inside the national park, you mainly walk on elevated steel boardwalks. Combined with the constant boat noise, it never felt like being immersed in pristine jungle. We were also disappointed to see litter in the forest. The night walk was the biggest disappointment. Around 100 people with flashlights walked together around the boardwalks very near the resort. People were pushing, talking loudly and even singing. Unsurprisingly, we saw almost no wildlife apart from stick insects, ants and a single scorpion. Our guide did his best, but no guide can create a wilderness experience under these conditions. What saddened us most was the overall impression that tourism had taken priority over nature. The constant noise, the crowds and the litter all contributed to that feeling. During the journey to and from the resort, we also passed long stretches of oil palm plantations where the rainforest appeared to have been cleared, making the contrast with the national park even more striking. The food is acceptable but feels like a cruise ship buffet, and the drink prices are excessive. For example - a small cola costs more then 3 €. To put our disappointment into perspective: this was the first time in our lives that we have ever ended a holiday stay early. Every additional hour felt like a waste of our vacation. We had travelled here hoping for an authentic rainforest experience, but left wishing we had spent our time elsewhere. If you are looking for tranquility, wildlife and an immersive jungle experience, we cannot recommend Mutiara Taman Negara.